J'éprouve une grande émotion dès la première lecture de cet ouvrage. C'est un chef-d'ouvre que Sor méritait et que la guitare méritait aussi. Elle va pouvoir figurer la tête haute dans des programmes de concert, parée de ses plus beaux atours. C'est aussi une superbe attention que la transmission de tels bijoux par le biais de ces dédicaces aux jeunes générations. C'est dans la plus pure tradition de ces études.
Quel travail énorme en si peu de temps, finalement! Bravo aux Productions d'OZ pour cette rapidité d'exécution, c'est magique et magnifique (Raymond Devos serait très fier...).
Ces études m'accompagnent depuis toute ma vie de guitariste et cette nouvelle vie qui leur est donnée me fait un plaisir immense. Celui de partager, plus encore.
Fernando Sor vous remercie. Je sais qu'il en est très, très heureux.
Valérie Folco, professeur de guitare - Paris
On a personal level, apart from enjoying the sound of classical guitar music, my other main musical passion in life is listening to string quartet works; therefore I was doubly delighted to receive this «novel« edition by the brilliant and ever resourceful French guitarist Roland Dyens of his arrangements for guitar and string quartet of seven Fernando Sor's Etudes; the very fact that he coincidentally chose my own personal favourite studies as well was really the icing on the cake.The only study not to actually include the guitar is the opening one (op.6 no.S) which works exceptionally weIl in this setting for string quartet alone (giving it an almost «hymn-like« character) and this serves as an ideal overture to the rest of the programme. The other studies are made up of op 35, numbers 22 and 17; and op6, numbers 13, 17, 19 and 20. Difficult as it is to pin-point highlights in such a collection as this, but pride of place must surely go to the exquisite, «tough on the left hand« study in B flat major, the attractiveness of this piece even more highlighted by the addition of the quartet.
With informative notes on the individual items (including performance strategy) these superbly crafted arrangements are excellent new additions to the repertoire, any performance of which should help towards the tremendous battle in some quarters as to the acceptance of the classical guitar as a «serious« instrument.
Highly recommended if you can get hold of a string quartet to perform them with.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)
